A GRIEVING mother who has spent £60,000 trying to find out how her son died says she does not accept his death was an accident.

Tracey Clayton says there was "a lot of criminality" taking place in the moments leading up to 23-year-old Josh's disappearance on the Scilly Isles in September 2015.

He was found in the sea off the island of Tean ten days after going missing following a party on the nearby island of Tresco, where he had been working as a bar manager.

Mrs Clayton has criticised the police investigation into the death of Josh, from Taunton, and an inquest earlier this month was dramatically halted when previously unheard evidence came to light.

She told the County Gazette she was angry Devon and Cornwall Police never considered the possibility Josh was murdered.

She added: "If someone can tell me categorically that they saw Josh accidentally do something and they have evidence, I'd accept it.

"But there was lots of criminality going on that evening and one person disappears, so I can't accept it was an accident.

"I want there to be criminal proceedings against whoever hurt my son.

"We've spent £60,000 on legal fees and on a private investigator to try to find out what happened - if the police had done their job properly, we shouldn't have had to spend a single penny."

The coroner ordered the police to look into fresh claims at the inquest that Josh had been arguing with a group of foreign workers at the party prior to his disappearance.

Mrs Clayton, who had a "close, open and honest relationship" with her son, also refutes evidence from the inquest that Josh was drunk and fell into the sea.

She said: "I'm still of the opinion that something else happened that night.

"Josh was a brilliant swimmer and brilliant diver, yet he is supposed to have drowned.

"People said they saw him stumbling outside drunk, but he was being his affectionate normal self, pretending to be drunk because he didn't want to lose his credibility and was living up to his image of a party animal - he couldn't get drunk because he had to get up early for work.

"He was only ever treated as a missing person and his T-shirt, which had blood on it, and the rest of his clothes were never forensically examined.

Following the inquest, a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said it was the "first time" the force had been made aware of claims of an argument outside the party and "further investigations will be carried out as a result".

The force says it will designate someone to keep Mrs Clayton updated on the progress of its investigations.